A foundation announces a two-page application, or no application at all, just a conversation. It talks about trust, partnership and flexibility. Your first reaction may be relief. Your second may be worry: with so little on paper, how do you show you're the right choice?
Shorter processes don't mean less preparation. They mean the preparation shows up in different places. This article explains what trust-based philanthropy is, what it changes for applicants, what stays the same and how to get ready.
What trust-based philanthropy is
The Trust-Based Philanthropy Project describes it as funders working alongside nonprofits as partners. It lays out six practices for grantmakers:
- Give multi-year, unrestricted funding.
- Do the homework.
- Simplify and streamline paperwork.
- Be transparent and responsive.
- Solicit and act on feedback.
- Offer support beyond the check.
The Project says the practices are meant to be seen as part of a larger whole rooted in values, not as a checklist. That matters for you, because funders adopt them to different degrees. One may offer multi-year unrestricted grants but still ask for a detailed budget. Another may have a short form and a one-year restricted grant. "Trust-based" on a website tells you the direction, not the exact process.
What it changes for applicants
Here is how each practice tends to show up when you apply.
- Less paperwork. The Project says streamlined approaches focused on dialogue and learning can pave the way for deeper relationships. In practice you may see shorter forms, a few narrative questions or a funder's willingness to accept materials you already have.
- Conversations in place of long narratives. Where a proposal would have been, you may have a call, a site visit or a series of check-ins. The conversation is the application.
- The funder does more homework. The Project says the onus of researching the issues and organizations in the funding landscape moves to the grantmaker. A funder may therefore find you, invite you or have read your public materials before it contacts you.
- Flexible money. Multi-year, unrestricted funding lets you decide where grant dollars are most needed. That changes how you describe the ask, since you might request support for your work as a whole instead of one project.
- Shared reporting. Funders may use a single report, a call or materials you already produce. Ask what the funder wants to learn and how, and propose the simplest way to give it.
What doesn't change
A lighter process doesn't remove the funder's need to understand who you are and whether the money will be well used. Four things still matter.
Clarity about impact. You still need to say what you do, who it helps and what changes as a result. A funder that skips a long evaluation section still wants to hear results, so keep your outcomes ready. Goals, objectives and outcomes will help you state them plainly.
Financial health. Unrestricted multi-year money is a bigger bet on your organization, and funders often look at your finances to judge it. Your budget, reserves and board oversight are likely to come up in conversation. See financial health signals funders read for what to have in hand.
Fit. Trust-based funders still have a focus. The Project says the practices are rooted in values, and a funder's values shape whom it supports. Research it before you reach out. How a foundation decides what to fund is a good starting point.
Honesty. Mutual accountability is part of the model. The Project says open, honest and transparent communication supports relationships rooted in trust and mutual accountability. That runs in both directions: you're honest about what's working and what isn't, and the funder is honest about what it can and can't do.
How to prepare for a conversation
Here is a hypothetical example. Say a tenants' rights organization is invited to a first call with a foundation that uses a streamlined process. It prepares a one-page set of notes with four items.
| Topic | What the organization prepares |
|---|---|
| Who we serve | Two sentences on the people and neighborhoods, with one number |
| What we've done | Three results from the past twelve months, each with a figure |
| What we need | One sentence on the gap, and the size of support that would close it |
| Our questions | Three questions about the funder's priorities and process |
The notes aren't a script. They are a way to avoid the vague answer that sounds like "we do a lot of things". The organization also keeps a current budget and its latest annual report within reach in case the funder asks.
When the call starts, notice how the funder describes its approach, then match your answers to it. If the foundation says it is interested in community leadership, your answers should show who leads your work.
Be clear about what you need
Flexibility is only useful if you know what you need. Before the conversation, decide:
- How much and for how long. If multi-year support is available, what would three years let you do that one year can't?
- What kind. Is the need general operating support, a particular program or capacity such as staff or systems?
- What reporting works for you. Offer a realistic format. A funder that wants to reduce burden can welcome a specific proposal.
The Project describes this practice as responsive, adaptive, non-monetary support that bolsters leadership, capacity and organizational health. If a funder says it offers this, it's fine to ask what's available. For ideas on keeping a relationship going once you have it, see renewals and multi-year funding.
Your next step
List your current and prospective funders and mark which ones use streamlined or trust-based practices. Look for language on their websites about multi-year funding, unrestricted support, short applications or conversations. For each one you mark, write down what you would want to tell them in a first call.
When a funder's guidelines are short, there is still a lot to read in them. SoliContraX can start from those guidelines, however brief, and help you build a draft from your own materials that you then review and finish. Start your next application.